Directing Traffic
by mycarlydotcom
Summary: Sam and Freddie are finally moving in together, but there is bit of tentativeness on Freddie's end as the young couple prepares to embark on the next chapter of their life. During a friendly heart to heart, Spencer questions Freddie as to what he has to be nervous about, and Freddie reveals an unexpected, but exciting secret.


**_Directing Traffic:_**

**_Synopsis: _**Sam and Freddie are finally moving in together, but there is bit of tentativeness on Freddie's end as the young couple prepares to embark on the next chapter of their life. During a friendly heart to heart, Spencer questions Freddie as to what he has to be nervous about, and Freddie reveals an unexpected, but exciting secret.

**_Setting: _**It's the day after New Year's, the holidays are over, and our couple is moving into their new apartment. Taking place about one week after **_Rough Patches_**_, _the previous installment of this timeline.

**_General: _**Hello again! Hope everyone is doing well in the New Year! We're picking back up with the **_Funny Business_** timeline, and we have another brief check in with our favorite couple as they settle into their new place. I've already began planning for the next large installment of this timeline, but I would like to explore a few smaller detours before getting there, much like I did with **_Handing Out L's_** and **_Fishing for Compliments_**_. _As always, if you are first time reader, let it be known that this story is the next piece in a project that I began several months back. I personally recommend to read each installment of this project as there are details that carry over from story to story. In order, the stories are as followed:

**_Funny Business_**

**_Handing Out L's_**

**_Fishing for Compliments_**

**_Rough Patches_**

Then of course, this story, **_Directing Traffic_**,

…All of which can be found on my page, so if you feel interested, enjoy. But regardless if you read them all or just this one, thanks for checking out my work. I've said it a million times since coming back, but I really do appreciate any and all reviews, favorites, or follows, it means a lot.

**_Chapter I:_** **_"Directing Traffic"_**

_"Okay, that way, that way, now turn it," _Freddie instructed Spencer as they awkwardly carried the couch through the doorway into his and Sam's new apartment.

_"Wait, hold on," _Spencer's voice echoed from out in the hallway, _"We gotta angle it better," _he continued as the couch bumped into the frame of the door. _"Oh! Careful!"_

Sam and Gibby lazily looked on from the kitchen counter within the apartment.

_"You know, you guys could help us,"_ Freddie commented to them as he struggled with his end of the couch.

They looked at each other sarcastically. _"We could,"_ Gibby acknowledged.

_"Mhm,"_ Sam nodded, _"But we shan't,"_ she quipped, pointing her finger at Freddie.

_"Gee thanks," _he groaned in retort._ "C'mon Spence, we got this. Just tilt that end to the left a bit," _he turned his attention back to the task at hand.

After several repeated attempts, the two of them finally managed to get the couch into the apartment. Exhausted, they sat it down right in the middle of the room and collapsed onto it together.

_"Hey, don't get comfortable yet," _Sam approached them. _"That's not where it goes, move it against the wall."_

_"Settle down there, pushy," _Freddie replied. _"Just give us a second, we're the ones who got it all the way up here while you guys just watched."_

_"I didn't 'just watch'," _she replied with an air quote, _"I'm directing traffic," _she jokingly continued_. "You guys do the heavy lifting and I supervise, it's a system."_

_"I don't like this system," _Spencer commented, still trying to catch his breath.

_"Yeah, you guys get some stuff," _Freddie added, _"We're tired."_

_"Oh, and I'm the pushy one?" _Sam replied. _"Look at you throwing around demands."_

_"Oh, c'mon, the couch was the biggest thing to bring in. You guys can get the little stuff_,_" _Freddie continued,_ "I think that's fair."_

_"Oh you do, huh?" _Sam cutely said with a subtle, but flirty smirk. _"Alright, fine whatever. We'll go get some of the smaller stuff," _she relented. _"You're lucky I think you're cute, dork."_

Sprawled out on the couch, he cracked a smirk of his own in response to her remark.

On the other end of the couch, Spencer was also smirking to himself as he watched the couple interact with each other.

_"C'mon, Gib," _Sam walked back over to Gibby, who was still idly standing by at the kitchen counter. _"Come help bring some of the stuff up."_

_"Awww man, I don't feel like carrying your guys' stuff up here," _he whined.

_"Tough chiz," _she shot back at him,_ "Now c'mon!" _She grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him to the door.

Freddie and Spencer chuckled together as they heard their peculiar friend complaining while he traveled down the hallway of the apartment building with Sam.

A few minutes after having regained his composure, Freddie got up of the couch that was still situated in the middle of the apartment, _"Alright, you think you can help move this thing up against the wall over there?" _he asked Spencer.

_"Let's do it," _Spencer obliged, and together they shifted the couch back, adjusting it into its appropriate spot.

_"Perfect," _Freddie acknowledged before walking over to the kitchen._ "I'm thirsty, do you want a drink?"_

_"Sure, what do ya have?" _Spencer asked as he trailed behind him.

Grabbing a plastic cup from a bag of them he had just bought at the dollar store, he turned on the sink and jokingly said, _"Water."_

Chuckling, Spencer joked, _"At least tell me you have ice."_

Freddie chuckled back. _"Sure, coming right up," _he said, tossing a few ice cubes into the cup and filling it under the faucet before handing it to Spencer, "_There ya go." _After quenching their thirst with the less-than-purified tap water of the apartment sink, the two friends proceeded out onto the small, outdoor, porch-balcony of the apartment.

_"It's cold now, but having this deck is gonna be so nice in the summer," _Spencer commented as he leaned onto the railing.

_"Yeah, I love this," _Freddie agreed, taking a seat in one of the porch chairs, _"We really got lucky with this place."_ They were on the top floor of a three story apartment building that was situated in a larger complex, with a pleasant view of the park across the street. Sam and Gibby could be seen down in parking lot, rummaging through the back of the van they had used to move. _"Tell Socko thanks for letting us use that van," _Freddie said.

_"Sure thing," _Spencer sat down in the chair beside him. _"Man, __I'm so proud of you guys,"_ he said to Freddie.

_"Thanks,"_ Freddie replied with a slight head nod.

_"No really, y__ou two have really gotten a handle on things,"_ Spencer continued,_ "More than I ever did at your age."_

_"We do what we can,"_ Freddie modestly shrugged, _"I couldn't do it without her though,"_ he added, looking down at Sam, who was still rummaging through the van.

Spencer smirked as he watched Freddie adore her from afar, letting out a faint chuckle under his breath.

_"What?" _Freddie asked as Spencer's chuckle snapped him back into reality.

_"Hmmm?"_ Spencer acknowledged. _"Oh, nothing. I just get a kick out of how you look at her,"_ he told Freddie.

Then with a faint chuckle of his own Freddie replied, _"Yeah, I just can't help it sometimes, ya know?"_

_"Hey, it's a great thing man," _Spencer told him, "_I think it's awesome. You guys really care about each other, I can see it."_

Freddie smiled, but remained silent as he looked back down at her.

Sitting a box full of her stuff on the ground next to the van, Sam yelled up to the balcony as she noticed Spencer and her boyfriend up there, _"You guys look real comfortable just sitting around. I hope that couch isn't in the middle of the floor when I come back up."_

_"Don't worry, we got it!" _Spencer yelled back to her.

"_Yeah, we did or job Princess Puckett," _Freddie quipped, _"Worry about your own chiz," _he continued to prod her in a playful tone.

Sam bit her lip to hide her smirk as she looked up at him. _"That's a lot of talk from up there nub-head," _she flirtatiously said back to him, "_You're picking a fight with the wrong chick Benson."_

"_You don't scare me," _he leaned forward in his chair, peeking over the balcony.

"_She totally does,"_ Spencer jokingly whispered to him.

"_I know, shhh," _Freddie whispered back.

"_We'll see about that," _she deviously replied back up to Freddie before directing her attention back to the van to grab another box.

"_You're brave," _Spencer said.

"_She knows I'm joking with her," _Freddie replied as he leaned back in his chair, _"I hope."_ Spencer laughed. As Sam and Gibby proceeded back into the apartment building with several boxes in hand, Freddie and Spencer continued their conversation on the balcony. _"Hey Spence," _Freddie said to him, _"Serious question."_

"_Shoot," _Spencer replied.

"_We're not moving too fast are we?"_

"_Moving too fast?" _Spencer repeated him, "_Explain."_

"_Me, and Sam," _Freddie continued, _"We're still pretty young, and we're moving in together. I just want an honest opinion from an adult."_

"_Well, to be fair, in some ways you and Sam are better adults than I am," _he joked.

"_Maybe," _Freddie laughed, _"But seriously, are we doing the right thing?"_

_"Nervous?" _Spencer questioned back in response.

_"Honestly, yes," _Freddie admitted.

"_Well, I can understand that," _he replied, _"But __the answer to your question isn't a straight 'yes' or 'no'," _Spencer explained to him.

A look of obvious uncertainty was apparent on Freddie's face.

_"Do you feel like you guys are doing the right thing?" _Spencer asked.

"_I don't know," _Freddie shrugged.

"_Yes you do," _Spencer said bluntly.

"_I do?" _he looked at Spencer in confusion.

"_Yep," _Spencer nodded.

"_Please help me understand then," _Freddie said.

"_Okay. __You and Sam have spent the better part of the last few years to get to this point, right?"_

"_Uh-huh," _Freddie answered.

"_Did you ever once question it while you guys were working to reach this point?"_

_"No," _he shook his head bluntly.

_"And why were you guys working so hard all that time?"_

Freddie looked uncertain again, but this time to what Spencer was getting at.

_"It's not a trick question Freddo," _Spencer chuckled slightly. _"You guys love each other, that's why, and that feeling is how you'll know if you two are doing the right thing. Don't be afraid of that fact."_

Freddie pondered Spencer's mini-lecture._ "I guess you're right," _he acknowledged.

_"Be excited! You guys are entering the next phase of your lives together!" _Spencer enthusiastically said.

_"I am excited," _Freddie assured him, _"But it's so nerve-racking."_

_"What's there to really be nervous about?" _Spencer asked. _"You and Sam are very responsible, I have no doubt you two will be fine."_

_"But what if we aren't?" _Freddie immediately retorted. _"What if we have problems?"_

_"Then you'll solve them," _Spencer said bluntly. _"Together."_

As Freddie continued to ponder Spencer's words of wisdom, the sound of the apartment door opening suddenly interrupted them as Sam and Gibby came strolling back in, boxes in hand, prompting Freddie and Spencer to come in off the balcony. Sitting her boxes in the corner, Sam cheekily commented to Freddie, _"Care to repeat yourself now that I'm standing right here?"_

"_I don't even know what you're talking about," _he played stupid.

"_I thought so," _she smiled.

"_I see that you grabbed all of your own boxes, but none of mine," _Freddie joked.

"_Did I?" _she sarcastically smirked at him, _"Wow, didn't even notice."_

"_You're lucky I think you're cute, dork," _he cleverly quipped.

Shaking her head with grin, she pointed an ear towards him, _"What was that?"_

"_I said Spence, wanna help me grab some of my boxes?" _he turned to Spencer.

Spencer chuckled, continuing to get a kick out of the couple's playful digs at one another. _"Sure, let's go," _he replied.

"_Tread lightly Fredbag, tread lightly," _Sam playfully warned him. _"You know better than anyone that Mama plays to win."_

"_Yeah, yeah," _Freddie jokingly waved her off. He and Spencer then took another turn heading down to the parking lot to grab a few more things.

_"__It's funny," _Spencer said to Freddie as they waited for the elevator in the hallway of the apartment building, _"You two haven't changed at all, but have also changed so much at the same time."_

"_How so?" _Freddie asked as a subtle _'ding' _of the elevator reaching their floor echoed through the corridor.

"_You guys have grown up, but you're still those same two kids that were bickering with each other as teenagers," _he explained as they stepped onto the elevator together.

Freddie chuckled in acknowledgement as he pressed the button to take them to the first floor. _"Yeah, but it's all good fun nowadays, it's just kind of our thing," _he said, leaning against one of the handrails that surrounded the perimeter of the elevator, _"But we really don't argue that much anymore, honestly."_

"_All the more reason why you shouldn't worried about moving in together," _Spencer commented at that fact.

"_Well, we still have little arguments from time to time, we're not perfect," _Freddie replied.

"_But who is?" _Spencer said, candidly. _'Ding,' _the elevator rang again as it reached the first floor and they proceeded out from the opening doors.

"_And before Christmas we did have that little rough patch," _Freddie brought up as they exited to the parking lot, heading over to the van.

"_That was your own fault," _Spencer joked, _"Being all mysterious and whatnot." _He opened the back-doors to the van, and started grabbing some boxes, sitting them on the ground beside him.

"_I wanted the apartment to be surprise," _Freddie argued as he followed suit and began rummaging through the van. _"I didn't mean to cause her a bunch of anxiety and chiz."_

"_I know, I'm just messing with you," _Spencer patted his back. _"You know, when all that was going on, I actually thought you might've gotten her a ring."_

"_Really?" _Freddie replied, somewhat astonished, sitting a box of his own on the ground. _"What made you think that?"_

"_Well, she was adamant that you were hiding something, but I told her that maybe she had the wrong idea about it. I told her you could've been hiding something, ya know, not bad, from her," _he tried to explain in convoluted fashion.

"_Did you say that directly though?" _Freddie curiously pursued, in regards to the topic a _'ring.'_

_"No, I didn't say it out right, in the off chance I was right, I didn't want to ruin the surprise, but yeah, that's what I thought."_

_"__Hmm," _Freddie peculiarly nodded his head, taking a seat on the bumper of the van.

_"__Turned out to be the apartment," _Spencer acknowledged, _"But I think she was pretty happy with that too."_

Freddie chuckled, _"Well, it's funny you mention that though."_

"_Why funny?"_ Spencer asked.

"_Well, because…" _Freddie hesitated

Spencer suddenly looked at Freddie in shock, _"Wait…you mean?_ _No way, don't tell me I was right?!"_

Freddie smirked with slight shrug as he looked down at the box he had sat on the ground near his feet.

_"Dude! You're kidding?!" _Spencer continued excitedly.

Freddie subtly shook his head _'no,'_ in response. _"The apartment wasn't the only thing I was so tied up with last month," _he admitted to Spencer before reaching down and popping open the box. He sifted through it for a few seconds before pulling out a small jewelry box, and holding it up to show Spencer, revealing a ring.

_"No way!"_ Spencer repeated excitedly.

"_Mhm," _Freddie calmly nodded.

_"I'm so happy for you man! When are you gonna..."_

_"I really don't know,"_ he interrupted Spencer. _"I have no set plan. I just know I'm gonna do it at some point."_

_"That's awesome man,"_ Spencer proudly patted his shoulder.

"_It's also kinda why I was asking for your advice," _Freddie explained. _"It feels like I might be moving too quickly with this stuff, that's why I'm nervous."_

"_Dude, you're thinking too hard," _Spencer chuckled. _"If you felt strongly enough to get that ring, then you have nothing to second guess."_

"_You think so?" _Freddie asked, still tentative about his decision.

"_I know so," _Spencer reassured him, _"__And hey, I know you're a smart kid," _he continued, _"When you do pop that question, I know it'll be when the time is right."_

Freddie smiled, _"Thanks Spence."_

"_Anytime man," _he replied.

"_But until then, just keep it between us," _Freddie requested of him.

"_For sure! I won't say a peep," _Spencer agreed.

"_Cool," _Freddie stood up from the bumper of the van. _"C'mon, let's grab this chiz and get back upstairs. It's cold out here."_

"_Let's go," _Spencer replied, picking up several boxes. The two friends then proceeded back into the apartment building, and back upstairs.

"_That doesn't look like everything," _Sam commented as they strolled back in.

"_Well, we only have two hands each," _Freddie replied, _"Besides, it's your guy's turn again."_

"_You're pushing it nub-head," _she joked.

He playfully rolled his eyes.

_"__Tread lightly," _she repeated herself from earlier.

_"Why don't we get the last couple boxes together," _Freddie suggested a compromise, _"I think we've worked our friends enough for today."_

_"That sounds good to me," _Spencer joked as he sat down the boxes he had carried up.

_"Gibbbbay," _belted out his name in agreement from over on the couch.

_"Fine, you nub-heads can rest," _Sam told them. _"Let's go Benson," _she headed out the door, gently shoulder checking him as she walked by.

Spencer was still chuckling to himself at their shenanigans.

"_Psst, Spence," _Freddie quickly whispered to him, _"Do me a favor, and put the box with 'you know what' in the closet."_

"_You got it," _he smiled discretely before Freddie followed Sam out.

**_Later that night…_**

Sam and Freddie had finished bringing in the rest of the stuff from outside, and the gang stood around the kitchen counter, sharing a pizza in celebration of the new apartment.

_"To Sam and Freddie!" _Spencer held up one of the tap water filled plastic cups for a toast, _"And their new apartment!"_

_"And to you guys for helping us move in today," _Freddie added as everyone clanked their cups together.

_"Mhm," _Sam nodded in acknowledgement.

_"Don't mention it," _Spencer said.

_"Gibbayyy!"_

After finishing their celebratory pizza, Spencer and Gibby prepared to head out.

_"Alright, well we better get going, it's getting late," _Spencer said.

_"Yeah, I should get home," _Gibby acknowledged, _"T-Bo has me scheduled to open tomorrow, and I gotta get some sleep for work."_

_"The hardships of bathroom attending," _Sam joked.

_"I know, tell me about it," _Gibby said, oblivious to her humor. Spencer and Freddie chuckled.

Throwing on their jackets, Spencer and Gibby then headed out as Freddie followed them to the apartment door. "_Alright, see ya guys, thanks again for helping today," _he reiterated.

_"You got it!"_

_"Anytime!" _they replied in succession.

_"And then there were two," _Freddie said as he shut the apartment door, turning around to Sam who was cleaning off the kitchen counter. She gathered the plastic cups and paper plates, and tossed them into the trashcan before wiping down the counter itself. Freddie smiled to himself as he watched her complete this simple task, remembering a conversation he had with Spencer over the summer where Spencer revealed that Sam had been trying to establish good habits like keeping her space clean so she would be ready when they finally moved in together. Now here she was, already putting those months of practice into action.

_"What?"_ she said, noticing that he was watching her wipe the counter down.

_"Nothing," _he smiled.

_"Quit being weird nub-head," _she joked before tossing the sponge into the sink and walking over to him. _"Ya know," _she threw her arms around his neck, and flirtatiously repeated an ever so familiar line, _"It's only 10:30."_

Freddie smirked with an eyebrow raise. _"I think I'm gonna like this having our own place thing," _he joked.

_"Oh yeah?" _she smiled.

_"Mhm," _he nodded.

Then suddenly, she quickly grabbed him in a bear-hug, _"Gotcha!"_

_"What the?! What the heck are you doing?!" _he said, startled with his arms pinned at his side.

"_I warned you," _she said deviously. _"You let your guard down Benson. Never forget, Mama always plays to win."_

"_Sam! C'mon let me go!" _he tried to break loose, but to no avail.

"_Oh, I thought I 'didn't scare' you," _she taunted him as they staggered around the room.

"_I was kidding!" _he insisted, _"Let me go!"_

"_What's the magic word?" _she teased him.

Letting out a huff, he unenthusiastically said, _"Please."_

"_I don't know, that didn't sound very genuine," _she pulled him over near the couch.

"_No! C'mon Sam! No!" _he desperately belted out as he felt his feet lifting from the floor, and the next thing he knew, he was practically being suplexed onto the couch by his girlfriend. In the aftermath, his body laid uncomfortably contorted in between the pillows and cushions of the couch. _"Ughhh," _he groaned.

_"You started it," _she joked.

_"Yeah, yeah," _he said, repositioning himself comfortably after the playfully assault from his girlfriend.

She then hopped onto the couch beside him, positioning her legs over his lap and flinging her arms back around his neck. _"By the way, the magic word was 'bacon'," _she joked.

He playfully rolled his eyes.

_"Now where were we a second ago?"_ she flirtatiously smiled before leaning in to kiss him.


End file.
